Gitex Global:Expand North Star 2025 Opens in Dubai with Its Biggest Edition Yet
Muhammad Naeem:
Islamabad: Expand North Star 2025 opened in Dubai as part of GITEX GLOBAL 2025, marking its 10th and largest edition since inception. The world’s leading startup and investor event brought together more than 2,000 startups and 1,200 investors from 180 countries at Dubai Harbour, transforming the venue into a global meeting point for innovation, entrepreneurship, and emerging technologies. The exhibition, organized by the Dubai World Trade Centre and hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, runs from 12 to 15 October and features top entrepreneurs, investors, founders, and experts, along with strategic partners from across the public and private sectors.
The atmosphere on opening day was filled with energy and optimism as thousands of visitors explored the latest innovations shaping the digital economy. Expand North Star has established itself as a global platform for collaboration and investment since its launch in 2016, empowering over 8,000 founders to grow their businesses and launch new ventures. In 2025, the event continues this momentum, reaffirming the UAE’s position as a major driver of entrepreneurship in the global digital economy.
The exhibition highlights groundbreaking solutions in artificial intelligence, climate technology, deep tech, digital health, and financial technology. It also supports the national initiative “UAE: The Startup Capital of the World,” which aims to create 30,000 new jobs by 2030 and launch 10 unicorn companies by 2031, strengthening the country’s leadership in innovation and investment.
In his keynote speech, Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, emphasized the UAE’s forward-thinking vision. He noted that the country began investing in artificial intelligence as early as 2008, long before it became a global focus. “We do not think as other nations do; our vision extends decades into the future,” he said. “No one expected us to become a major player in this field, but today we are proving that we can. Our success will inspire others, East and West, to follow this path.” He added that the UAE’s goal is not only success but also continuous learning and collaboration to advance shared aspirations for the future.
Among the UAE’s standout participants this year is Presight, a G42 company and the region’s largest big data analytics firm. A year after launching the Presight AI Accelerator to support early-stage AI startups, the company unveiled its first cohort of startups now ready with market-ready prototypes. The program, the first of its kind in the Middle East to be launched by a listed technology company, offers direct commercial pathways, advanced infrastructure, and expert guidance to startups. Presight also signed a strategic partnership with the UAE Cybersecurity Council on the opening day. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government, underlined that cybersecurity remains central to the nation’s identity and technological growth. “Amid the rise of AI and quantum computing, safety and security remain essential pillars,” he said. “The UAE’s digital transformation is human-centered, powered by entrepreneurs who contribute to our national security and infrastructure.”
The global nature of the event was underscored by the participation of 180 countries, the largest in the event’s history. ApexBrasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, joined as the first-ever Country Partner, showcasing 55 startups and innovation centers focused on AI, fintech, and emerging technologies. The collaboration highlights Brazil’s growing influence as a hub for global innovation and technological development.
Expand North Star 2025 also features the largest gathering of unicorn companies to date, with more than 40 participating firms. Among them are PsiQuantum from the United States, developing the first fault-tolerant quantum computer; Talabat from Kuwait, valued at USD 8.5 billion as the region’s leading on-demand delivery platform; Andalusia Labs from the UAE, a global leader in digital asset risk infrastructure that reached a USD 1 billion valuation in just 11 months; and Carousell from Singapore, one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing e-commerce platforms. Global investment leaders, including J.P. Morgan, Daiwa Capital Management, Eurazeo, Octopus Energy Generation, Qatar National Bank, Raiffeisen Bank, Samsung Ventures, and SBI Ventures, are also taking part, seeking the next wave of companies that will shape the future of technology and innovation.
As the event continues through 15 October at Dubai Harbour, it reinforces Dubai’s status as a global capital for startups and digital innovation. Expand North Star, part of GITEX GLOBAL’s 45th edition this year, continues to bridge global markets, ideas, and talent—cementing the UAE’s position at the heart of the world’s technological future.
